In recent years, advances in technology, as well as ever-evolving tastes in style, have led to substantial changes in the design of automobiles. One of the changes involves the variety and complexity of the luxury and convenience features now found as standard equipment on many automobiles, such as numerous speeds and modes for the operation of the windshield wipers.
Modern automobiles are often equipped with washer fluid systems that spray a cleaning solution onto the windshield to assist in the removal of unwanted debris (e.g., dirt, insects, and salty road splash). The spraying of this solution is often accompanied by the operation of the windshield wipers to enhance the cleaning effect and to remove the solution from the windshield. In some vehicles, after the wash solution spray has ceased, the windshield wipers automatically continue to operate for several seconds (or perform additional wipe cycles), in order to ensure that all of the cleaning solution has been removed from the windshield, thus maximizing the user's visibility through the windshield.
However, conventional wiper systems often perform more wipe cycles than required to completely remove all of the cleaning solution. As a result, the wipers may be swept across a windshield that is virtually dry, perhaps producing undesirable sounds and vibrations. Additionally, these unnecessary wipe cycles increase wear on the motors used to drive the wipers, as well as the wiper blades themselves. Under some driving conditions (e.g., winter driving conditions), these undesirable additional wipes may also cause smearing of the windshield due to debris that has impacted the windshield after the spray has ended.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and system for operating windshield wipers in such a manner that reduces unnecessary wipe cycles, particularly after washer fluid is sprayed onto a windshield. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.